Several Alabama-based child advocacy organizations have unveiled a comprehensive plan to help state lawmakers address the state’s severe shortage of child care providers.

Dubbed the ‘Roadmap to Support Alabama’s Parents, Children, Employers and Economy,’ the 80-page document was unveiled during a Feb. 27 press conference in Montgomery by representatives of several of the collaborating organizations, including VOICES for Alabama’s Children, Alabama Partnership for Children and the Alabama School Readiness Alliance.

“What you’ll find from the road map is that we need to provide a lot more support, resources and effort so that child care programs can move to implement not only the high-quality education part of it, but all the other aspects that go into developing children to age five,” said Bob Powers, board president of the Alabama School Readiness Alliance.